Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Tier-3 Graduate’s Salary Journey From ₹3 LPA to ₹20 LPA
An anonymous technology worker shared how his pay grew from ₹3 lakh a year to ₹20 lakh.
He studied at a Tier-3 college and said programming did not come easily to him.
He faced many interview rejections and was laid off twice early in his career.
During the technology hiring boom, he received offers from several large companies.
His pay increased, but he later struggled at Capgemini and was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan.
When changing jobs, some companies offered him less money than they had first promised.
He kept interviewing and negotiated until HCL matched a ₹20 LPA offer.
He encouraged other workers to keep learning, interviewing, and believing in better opportunities.
An anonymous Uttar Pradesh tech professional said his salary rose from ₹3 LPA to ₹20 LPA after repeated setbacks.
After 15–20 interview rejections, he was laid off twice, including once during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Offers from Genpact, TCS, Wipro, and Infosys preceded his move to Capgemini, where his salary rose from ₹4 LPA to ₹9.5 LPA.
He later faced a Performance Improvement Plan and left Capgemini after nearly four years earning ₹10 LPA.
After negotiating against lowball offers, he secured ₹20 LPA from HCL, despite later receiving a ₹23 LPA offer from Tech Mahindra.
- Who
- An anonymous technology professional from Uttar Pradesh who studied BCA and MCA at a Tier-3 college.
- What
- He described increasing his salary from ₹3 LPA to ₹20 LPA while surviving layoffs, a Performance Improvement Plan, and difficult negotiations.
- When
- Across his career, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent technology hiring boom.
- Where
- The professional is from Uttar Pradesh and worked for companies including Capgemini and HCL.
- Why
- Persistence, continued interviewing, learning, and salary negotiation helped him move to better-paying opportunities.
Career Persistence
Industry Caution
What the story suggests about IT careers
Career Persistence
The professional’s experience suggests that continued learning, interviewing, and negotiation can lead to major salary growth despite layoffs and setbacks.
Industry Caution
The discussion also reflected concerns about difficult technology hiring conditions, global competition, lowball offers, and the pressure of performance reviews.
Accepting offers during uncertainty
Career Persistence
He accepted difficult situations when he had limited options and continued searching for a better opportunity.
Industry Caution
His experience with HCL showed that verbal salary promises could be reduced before the final offer, making continued interviewing important.
- Starting salary
- ₹3 LPA, according to the professional’s account
- Current salary milestone
- ₹20 LPA
- Education
- BCA and MCA from a Tier-3 college
- Early setbacks
- 15–20 interview rejections and two layoffs
- Capgemini switch
- Salary rose from ₹4 LPA to ₹9.5 LPA
- Capgemini exit
- He left after nearly four years earning ₹10 LPA
- Negotiated offers
- HCL eventually matched ₹20 LPA; Tech Mahindra later offered ₹23 LPA